An experience-based exhibit emphasizes the visitor's active involvement: visitors become involved in inquiry cycles in which visitors' continued interaction with the exhibit builds upon the feedback they have received from the results of their inquiries. Presents 10 broad guidelines to consider when designing engaging experience-based exhibits.…

Each month, "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This November 2004 issue includes the following: "Honoring…

This article describes how an industrial building in Perth, Western Australia, has been converted into a secondary school to suit the particular needs of girls with educational and social difficulties. The aim of the building project was to provide a small school for approximately 30 students that caters to the needs of adolescent girls who are…

Generations ago, it was common for young students to learn their reading and writing in the same classroom as older siblings studying more advanced lessons. For those people educated in one-room schoolhouses, having separate buildings for elementary school, middle school and high school would have been considered the ultimate in specialized…

In recent years, the large comprehensive high school has been a subject of growing critique by researchers and reformers. "Factory model" schools have been criticized for their impersonal structures, fragmented curricula, segregated and unequal program options, and inability to respond effectively to student needs. Some studies have found that,…

Student computer laboratories are provided by most teaching institutions around the world; however, what is the most effective layout for such facilities? The log-in data files from computer laboratories at a regional university in Australia were analysed to determine whether there was a pattern in student seating. In particular, it was…

With classroom Internet access nearly universal in public schools and computers ubiquitous on every school and university campus, classroom furnishings have evolved to accommodate the machines so students can take full advantage of the technology. The desks, tables and other furniture that a school chooses for its computers will depend on the…

What does the future hold for educators and facilities professionals when it comes to planning, building, funding, and operating school facilities? No one can absolutely know beforehand. However, there are many, many indicators of where public education in the United States may well be destined. These indicators take the form of already occurring…

Temple College (TC) is a comprehensive community college located in Temple, Texas. Temple also is home to Scott & White Hospital, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, King's Daughters Hospital, and Texas A&M University College of Medicine's clinical campus. In the summer of 2001, TC's health-sciences programs were scattered across…

Some persuasive research over the past decade shows a strong relationship between the availability of daylight in classrooms and increased test scores for students. Schools seeking to apply that research to actual school construction projects face several hurdles, but the benefits can be real and long-lasting. A properly installed, calibrated and…

In recent years, scores of educators and designers have been won over to the view that natural light--provided by the sun instead of bulbs or tubes--is desirable and beneficial for education facilities. Studies that show students performing better in classrooms that have the right kinds of daylighting bear out the intuitive beliefs of many…

The phenomenal growth in enrollment at community and technical colleges during the past decade has had a distinct impact on the role that counselors must play to continue to provide a viable contribution to the colleges. Specifically, Mesa Community College (MCC), in Arizona, has identified three trends which provide opportunities for counseling…

This handbook discusses the role, structures, organization, and management of study centers as they operate in different postsecondary settings in the Asia Pacific region. Eight chapters and a postscript are included: (1) introduction; (2) what is a study center; (3) why might an institution want study centers--functions, architectural types,…

This book discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the two most common construction planning methods utilized for educational facilities: general contracting and construction management. Diagrams are provided that illustrate the chain of command and communication within each approach, and highlight considerations that every school district…

An architect tells how cost monitoring affects the design and building process. Following are case histories of eight schools shown chronologically to reflect the growing design sophistication of his firm. (Available from 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, $15.00 annually.) (Author/MLF)